Germany’s Federal Association of Offshore Wind (BWO) has warned delays in building grid links could push back offshore wind projects by up to two years.
BWO Managing Director Stefan Thimm stated: “The responsible Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency announced on Friday that there will be delays of up to two years for several offshore grid connection systems in the German North Sea. This makes it clear that the expansion goals for offshore wind energy are in danger.”
He added: “It is good that the traffic light government has significantly increased the legally agreed targets for offshore wind energy. These large projects have long lead times. That’s why it’s good that we can talk about possible bottlenecks with six years’ advance warning.
“The construction of grid connections and offshore wind farms must be well coordinated. Otherwise there is a risk of major losses. The supply chain now needs industrial policy signals of reliability and commitment even more urgently.”
“With the ‘transformation component’, the federal government has created an ideal instrument to use the revenue from offshore wind auctions to make a sustainable contribution to supporting the energy transition and decarbonising the economy.
“However, the income from 2023 will be used to finance agricultural subsidies. In the future, the federal government should use it to eliminate bottlenecks in the value chain using industrial policy resources.
“The opportunities are enormous. According to expert calculations, between €800bn and €1.2tn euros in investments are necessary just to install the systems to implement the European goals. In addition, there are positive effects on value creation and employment through the company over decades. It is not a given that these investments will also be made in Germany. It’s about creating the conditions so that the highest possible proportion of added value can be created in Germany,” Thimm said.